THE Blues and Magpies will battle it out at the MCG on Friday night for the ninth Richard Pratt Cup.

With one in nine Australian men falling victim to prostate cancer in their lifetime, the Cup aims to raise awareness of the disease and honour the memory of former Carlton president Richard Pratt, who lost his battle against prostate cancer in 2009.

Whilst the clubs band together to campaign for a future without the disease, the rivalry between the Blues and Pies remains just as intense on the field. Collingwood hold the ascendency having won seven out of the eight contests since the Cup’s inception, however Carlton holds the superior record in VFL/AFL history with 127 wins to Collingwood's 123 and will be eager to claim this year’s Cup for their first win of the 2018 AFL season.

Will the Blues lift the Richard Pratt Cup for the second time in history on Friday night? (Photo: Carlton Media)

Jeanne Pratt, wife of the late Richard Pratt and current Blues vice-president, will present the Cup to the winning team in the rooms post-match on Friday night and award the Richard Pratt Medal to the player deemed best on ground by Channel Seven’s commentary team.

The Richard Pratt Cup also helps to raise funds for the Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Research, an initiative that aims to identify improved treatment of this illness.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer amongst males, with one in nine men developing the disease in their lifetime and 3,300 men passing away in Australia each year.

Friday night promises to be an enthralling contest between two sides keen to notch up their first win of the season.

For more details, please click here.

*Due to AFL scheduling, the Richard Pratt Cup was not played in 2017 due to Carlton not hosting Collingwood in a home game that season.